Secrets and Lies (a Les Twins fanfic)

Chapter 22: Moving On

The rest of week went by in a haze. Gabby alternated between anger and crying her eyes out for the first few days. Then her sadness turned into a kind of calm acceptance.

It was over. She didn’t blame Patrick for not telling her the truth about Keith. He never had any definite proof and he was afraid of destroying their friendship over a rumor.

None of her other family or friends knew and she couldn’t tell them. All she could do now was throw herself back into her work.

“Please stop bringing me stuff.”

Patrick added the flowers in his hand to the other gifts on her desk that he’d been bringing her all week.

He was worried. “I don’t know if you should go back to Paris.”

“We signed the contracts already.”

“Forget the contracts. It’s too soon.”

“I’d rather be there than here. I‘d rather be anywhere than here right about now.”

“Then I’m sending an assistant with you this time.”

“You don’t have to do that.” She clicked open an email in her inbox from Sasha. “I already have someone in mind.”

*   *   *   *

Gabby took a cab from the Paris airport to her hotel then over to the new studio where TVOne was setting up for the documentary on the twins.

When she got there Larry and Laurent had just finished shooting some dance moves on the green screen for the intro.

Laurent’s bushy afro had been replaced with twists like Larry’s. They both came up to her smiling.

She was so happy to see them. It was like she had been in hell and now she was back in heaven.

“How was your trip?” Laurent draped his arm around her shoulder.

“It was fine.” She painted on a smile and changed the subject. “I brought both of you something.”

She held up the bag in her hand and Larry started digging in it before she could open it. He pulled out the two Atlanta snapbacks and tried to decide which one he wanted—the blue one or the gray one.

Laurent stood back acting indifferent for a second then he lunged forward and snatched the gray cap out of Larry’s hand.

“Hey! That’s the one I want!” Larry pouted and tried to take it back.

Laurent laughed and took off running with it on his head. “You too slow. It’s mine now.”

Larry was about to go after him when Gabby caught his attention.

“I wanted to ask you something.”

He stopped tracking Laurent long enough to turn and look at her.

“You remember Sasha from the Gaultier shoot? I wanted to be sure you’re okay with me hiring her as my assistant while I’m here.”

“Who?”

“Sasha.” He still looked puzzled. Gabby had to call her out of her name to get him to remember. “Um…food girl?”

His eyes finally lit up with recognition. “Oooh, yes. She’s cool.”

“You’re a piece of work, Larry.”

“What?” He stretched his arms out innocently. “What I do?”

Gabby went to find a quiet place to make some calls and left him to figure it out on his own.

While she was looking around the studio she caught a glimpse of Laurent talking to a woman on the TVOne staff. She was grinning all up in his face standing close enough to be a second skin.

He said something and touched her nose with his finger. She laughed way too hard.

Gabby sighed. Her face felt hot. It was going to be tough trying to stay nothing more than friends with Laurent.

She still had feelings for him. But she needed time to process everything that had happened with Keith.

She finally found a room to set up her laptop and a while later Laurent came by. She didn’t know he’d seen her watching him with that woman.

He hovered in the door then stepped in and closed it behind him.

“What did you do while you were at home?” He leaned against the door fishing for details about her trip.

“Nothing much. Just catching up on things.” Gabby could read between the lines. He wanted to know if she’d seen Keith while she was there. But she wasn’t ready to talk about it.

She stood up and walked over to him.

“I did miss you though.”

“Me too.”

She slipped her arms around his neck and hugged him like she’d wanted to do all day. He squeezed her close then pulled back and looked her.

“You really want to do this friend thing?”

Gabby nodded. “For now.”

“Can friends kiss?”

“Sometimes.”

Laurent tilted her chin up and bent his head. They exchanged a soft kiss.

He let his lips trail to her ear and whispered, “What else can friends do?”

His hands were already moving south down her body. She caught his wrists and stepped back laughing.

“Lau!”

He smiled mischievously. “Sorry. I had to try.”

He opened the door and scanned up and down the hall before leaving.

“Who are you looking for?”

“Larry. He wants this hat.” He touched the gray snapback clipped to his belt loop.

“That was hours ago. I thought he let you have it.”

“Noooo. Larry NEVER forgets. He’s gonna do something to me.”

After he left, Gabby thought hard about what Laurent said.

Larry was acting all nice to her now, but maybe she still needed to watch her back.